Ashley M.

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Does Size Matter? Challenges in Supply Chain that Small Companies Face
Ashley M.
Last modified on November 28, 2017 at 8:27 pm
Digitization of supply chain allows companies to be more efficient and customer-focused, however, optimization in supply chains come at cost so how do companies position themselves to win [1]?

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On December 1, 2017, Ashley M. commented on Driving into the Unknown: Ford Motor Company and NAFTA :

Very interesting post – in particular, I think the first question (trade-off between more manufacturing jobs in the US vs. lower cost vehicles) that you posed merits further discussion. In response, think in the short-term, bringing back more manufacturing jobs to the US is important, however, I don’t think it’s a long-term solution given companies’ focus on investing in automation. Additionally, I think having a global footprint for manufacturers is important given different infrastructures and suppliers across regions.

On December 1, 2017, Ashley M. commented on Isolationist Trade Policy Drives General Motors to Narrow its Scope :

Great post! Although isolationist trade policies, such as manufacturing in the US, will help increase domestic jobs I’m not sure that this is a viable long-term solution. In the short-run, as you mentioned, it will bring jobs back into the country. However, as companies continue to aggressively invest in technology and automation, will policies such as this one put our country at a disadvantage? With the increase in globalization and technology, It seems critically important to continue having an international footprint.

On December 1, 2017, Ashley M. commented on ExxonMobil(ize) on Climate Change? :

I strongly believe that ExxonMobil has a responsibility to its consumers and the environment. Based on your post it’s apparent that the company isn’t doing much to address the serious issue of climate change in the energy sector. But why is that.. isn’t it in ExxonMobil’s best long-term interest to address its social responsibility to the environment? My guess is that one major issue is the impact on profitability for the company. A shift to cleaner energy is an easy solution to propose, however, it requires a significant investment from companies like ExxonMobil. Moreover, I believe that the government holds some of the responsibility to the impact of energy on environment and thus a possible suggestion would be to provide energy companies with tax credits for meeting certain environmental standards.

One last question I have is, what are other companies (e.g. BP, Chevron, Citgo) doing in response to increasing climate control concerns?

On December 1, 2017, Ashley M. commented on Fall Without Pumpkin Spice Lattes? It Could Happen :

Interesting post – I found it particularly interesting that Starbucks is doing so much in trying to ensure the long-term sustainability of growing coffee in changing climates. I didn’t realize that they were investing so much capital into various programs and farms. One idea that crossed my mind as I read your post was the viability of genetically modified coffee beans. It seems like there have been efforts to develop genetically modified coffee plants but there is still a long way to go (https://dailycoffeenews.com/2017/03/08/column-what-we-know-about-gmos-and-specialty-coffee/). I’d be curious to see how this idea develops over the next 5-10 years from both the supply and demand side. More specifically, from the supply side – will the coffee taste the same? How will this change effect pricing? How will this change time to market and supply fluctuations? Additionally, the major question from the demand side is will people be willing to drink genetically modified coffee?

On November 28, 2017, Ashley M. commented on The Department Store Dilemma: Nordstrom Invests in New Store Concept :

This is a really interesting concept given the current landscape of retailers – especially given the recent success of companies that you mentioned above (Warby Parker and Bonobos). However, given the restricted size of the Nordstrom Local locations – how does the company think about cross-selling products across various departments? For example, currently when a Nordstrom customer walks into the department store, does the company have data around what % of customers buy products from more than one department (e.g. women’s apparel, children’s shoes, cosmetics)? Is Nordstrom losing out on sales from other departments? Is this a trade-off that the company is willing to take a hit on given shifting consumer trends?

On November 28, 2017, Ashley M. commented on Toothpaste courtesy of robots?! Colgate-Palmolive’s digital supply chain :

You talk a lot about the general trends in the digitalization of supply chain, and various automation tools that Colgate-Palmolive implements, and you mention that Colgate-Palmolive was recently ranked #9 on Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25 for 2017; however, what are the drivers (aside from access to capital) underlying why Colgate-Palmolive has been able to get ahead of competitors? What are best practices that other companies can take away from Colgate-Palmolive and try to implement in their own companies?